Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Likud’s Central Committee Chairman Haim Katz that he would leave the party if his demand for 10 reserved seats in the next election is not accepted, Likud sources told Maariv.
According to the sources, Katz believes that Netanyahu’s demand could “crush the Likud,” while Netanyahu argues that the current crisis could cause serious damage to the party.
The sources also said that the statements were conveyed indirectly and are part of the negotiations within the party to determine the framework of Likud’s primaries.
Additionally, the sources explained that a split within the Likud would only benefit the opposition, saying that “a lot of champagne will be spilled” in the headquarters of Gadi Eisenkot, Avigdor Lieberman, and Naftali Bennett if this were to happen.
According to a Tuesday report by Kan News, Netanyahu is looking into reserving spots on the Likud party list for Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and former Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon in the top ten slots.
Bitan warns against Netanyahu’s actions
Likud lawmaker David Bitan said on Monday in an interview with 103FM that Netanyahu’s handling of the party’s preparations for the coming elections was wrong, especially on the issue of reserved spots on the Likud slate.
“What I’m saying is that this method of the arrangement committee is not suitable for Likud,” he said.
“Likud has been based on democracy all these years. The whole foundation of Likud is the connection between the elected officials and the members of the central committee, and that gives the party life,” he added.
Bitan warned that Likud’s system can’t be changed a month before the primaries, explaining that even if Netanyahu would “like to be like the other parties,” that it is “not suitable for Likud.”
Bitan went on to recall Netanyahu’s own entry into Likud: “Thanks to the democratic process back then, Netanyhu entered Likud.” Asked whether Likud could disappear without a primary system, he said, “Within eight years, in my opinion, yes.”
Bitan believes Netanyahu won’t step down
Bitan ruled out the possibility of Netanyahu stepping down: “I don’t see such a situation; he is a fighter by nature. When we lost the elections and the Bennett-Lapid government came to power, Netanyahu stayed in the Knesset until he made a turnaround.”
He also lashed out at US President Donald Trump’s conduct: “Trump is doing harm to Likud, that is completely clear in terms of his conduct, but we will know how to deal with it,” he said. “It is harmful, there is nothing to do, first of all to the State of Israel, and after that to Likud.”
In addition, Bitan said he expects the war with Iran to recur repeatedly: “Once every year and a half or two years. We will always have to deal with their missile buildup; they threaten us with it all the time. It’s not that every day we will wake up with some missile, but once every two years, we will need to prevent the buildup; we will have no choice.”
